snelling



W. 0. SNELLING. METHOD FOR PERFORMlNG CHEMICAL REACTIONS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, I916.

1 39x 099 2mm NOV.22,1921.

INVENTOR Wa/fer 0.5ne//ing..

flaw/ AM ATTORNEY 1818, etc., are pireierablyso constructed that reaction materials may be charged into the apparatus, and the reaction products removed therefrom, without substantially changing the pressure within the reaction chamber. comprises an outer sliding gate 19', 19', etc, and an inner gate 20, 20, etc. Granular or powdered reaction material is placed in the hopper 'Z and the gate 19 is withdrawn, allowing some or all of the material to fall upon the gate 20. The gate 19 is then closed and the gate 20 is opened, thus permitting the material to fall upon the upper shelf 3. By operating the gates 19', 19, etc. and 20" 20:, etc. of discharge valves 16 18", etc. in a similar man" nor, the solid reaction products may be removed from the chutes 17, 17, etc, without substantially changing the pressure in the treating chamber.

In order to control the temperature within the reaction apparatus, it provide means for introducing heating or cooling iiuid into the radial arms 1.0 and 15 and also into the interior of the shelves 3. For this purpose, the hollow shaft 11 rests upon and in axial alinement with a stationary tubular support 22,'through which water, steam or other suitable heating or cooling fluid may be in troduced into a pipe 23 that is supported centrally Within the hollow shaft 11 and rigid therewith. The pipe 281 is provided with lateral openings 24 communicating with horizontal. tubes 25, one of which e2;- tends into each of the hollow arms 10 and 15. The heating'or cooling fluid, after cir' culating through. the pipes 25, 10 and 15, is discharged into the annular space between the shaft 11 and thepipe 23, and is removed from the apparatus through a pipe 26 com municating with the upper end of the tube 23. The direction of fluid flow may obviously be reversed, if desired, the tluid being i introduced through the pipe 26 and removed through the pipe 252. e The shelves 3 are made hollow to receive annular fluid containers 30,.which may suitably be made of sheet metal and which are provided with inlet and outlet pipes 31 and 32. Steam, water or other heating or cooling fluid is siuiplied to all of the inlet pipes 31 by means of a'pipc 33 and the fluid discharged through the pipes 32 is removed by means of a discharge pipe 34.

To provide more complete temperature yon'trol, the side, top and bottom walls of the "apparatus may be provided with jackets 35 having a suitable number of inlet and out let pipes 36. The fluid containers 30 and. the jackets 35 may be connected to each other and to the source of tluid supply in various ways, to maintain either uniform or nonuniform temperature within the apparatus, In some cases it is advisable to keep As shown, each of these valves quantities of true alkali e menace the several shelves at progressively varying tempera es, which may either increase or decrease from top to bottom of the apparatus, depending upon the reactionbeing performed.

In the operation of the apparatus which I have shown and described, solid reaction material, preferably in as finely divided condition as possible, is charged into the machine through the hopper 7 and the double valve 8, is subjected to repeated crushing and stirring by means of the rabbles 9 and the chaser rolls 16, while being moved in a path over the shelves 3. At the same time, reagent gas or vapor is introduced into the casing through the pipe 119 at any desired pressure, which is regulated in accordance with the nature of the material under treatment, the pressure of the fluid reagent being controlled by means of the valves 21 and 211. As indicated above, the gaseous and vaporous products of the reaction, and any excess of the gaseous or vaporous reagent that may be employed, are removed. through the pipe 120, while the solid reaction products are discharged from time to time through the valve 18, 18", etc.

My apparatus and process may be utilized for carrying out many different chemical reactions. in. the manufacture of ammonia from calcium cyanamid, for example, dry and pulverulent calcium cyanamid or other salt of oyanamid may be very conveniently treated with steam according to this method and by means of this apparatus, the ammonia and waste steam being withdrawn through the outlet pipe 120 and the steam condensed. in the subjoined claims which relate specifically to the preparation of ammonia, the expression alkali earth cyanamid is intended to include both alkali earth cyanarnidsand the salts of cyanamid commonly known by the names lime nitrogen cyanamid and Illillfllll ll, these being commercial products c ntaiining varying h 'cyanamid.

Another advantageous application of my invention is found in cases where a solid material cannot be conveniently brought into solution before being treated with a 115 gaseous or vaporous reagent. When chemical reactions are to be produced between a solid and a gas or vapor, ithas heretofore been usual, when possible, to take up the solid in a suitable solvent and to pass the 12s solution through a coke tower or similar absorption apparatus in contact with the gaseous reagent. There are many cases where this method, is'not available, either because the solid is insoluble in the available 125 solvents or because the solid material reacts with the solvent. in such cases, my method and are particularly useful, the solid material being treated directly with the gas or vapor.

use

An example of such a rsaction 1n the prodlui'lum sodium 311i lrez'llziug sodium phelnaw with carlm'l. (llOXlil. In performing; this rsacticm. iflfl'l sucllum phenale in a fly powdered comlitiuu into the apparatus, in (Quill-i 'CUK'E'P U :alatium w a stream of cmlmn (lioaicl Xkh'ji' I prefer ta z'a'mlntain a presslu'e 0i 'lzuu (lioxid in the appaya'lus 0;? about 15% A 1 pounds per square infill, and t0 maintain a tempera ture of about 150 "1. within lhe apparaius. The sodium phenate is adkanced through the apparatus at such a rate "that the linlslual product, Sodium salicylate, is lls -hargml from the fisc -Eng chamber after alauut hours from the when phenatv is inbrnclucm. Still 1;

will/{l to almut 120 ars kept tiara:

'an be ()lflidli'lil h; healing he shelves of the J na. tus w ahll' at 1am pal-Mares, the altar-mg phenate being K sprmd. upon a shelf while the other saelves gresslvely hu Input on the Ma 60 Q AilOllhSl useful. appllaafion of my tlon 1s in the manufactu treating; finely gxm'dsred sal'hun soda lune, or otiuer SOlld will fr alkali metal lTQJClKOXhl, wi aunst ar usn 31101101 l uncle pr' sssure of almui' 1520 psalms p01 aqua ash and al, a" Tatum mi. from 170 In this case regulate the 'fififlpfii'ahl efi u shelves in accol' a 455:. pletion 0f the 1 ywfierahly may; mediate shelves at 130 C. respectivelx' fol-mate being}; wifil shelf lllil'll'lfifllil-i-Al al a solid material :ma through the treatl: 

